Monthly news, events & updates | |
Building a Rainforest in the Desert | January 2026 | | The Importance of Disclosing Inventions & Protecting Intellectual Property with Angela Wandinger-Ness, Ph.D. | | | | |
Hear from prolific innovator, Angela Wandinger-Ness, PhD, on the importance of disclosing inventions and protecting intellectual property.
Dr. Angela Wandinger-Ness is a distinguished researcher and innovator with extensive expertise in protein biochemistry, molecular biology, and cancer biology. She joined UNM in the Department of Pathology at the Health Sciences Center in 1998 and was the Victor and Ruby Hansen Surface Endowed Professor in Cancer Cell Biology and Clinical Translation; promoted to Distinguished Professor in 2022; and served as Associate Director for Education, Training, and Mentoring at the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center.
| | Five UNM Startups Among 19 Companies Awarded NMEDD Science and Technology Grants | | |
The New Mexico Economic Development Department awarded Science and Technology Business Startup grants to 19 technology companies. Among them were five startups commercializing technology developed from The University of New Mexico, including TS-Nano, Zenthos Energy, Sandia Medical Technologies, Shearit, and YEEO Eco-Safe.
This was the most competitive grant cycle since the awards were established in 2019 with more than 60 applications reviewed by the Technology Innovation Office and the Technology Research Collaborative Board.
Learn more
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UNM Rainforest Forum
Update from 2024 NM Research University Team Awardees
Join us on January 29 from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the Lobo Rainforest Building to hear about the progress made by the awardees of the NMEDD Research University Team Pilot Program.
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Event Moderator:
Nora Meyers Sackett, Director, Technology and Innovation Office, New Mexico Economic Development Department
University Team Awardees:
Ivy Hurtwitz, Chief Science Officer, YEEO Eco-Safe
Rick Thomson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sandia Medical Technologies
Scott Nowicki, Owner and Chief Scientist, Earth and Planetary Insights, LLC (Carbon Swarm)
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| | Startup Daisy Genomics Raises $2.5M to Scale Locally | |
Albuquerque-based startup Daisy Genomics, formerly Armonica Technologies, has secured $2.5 million in seed funding led by Cottonwood Technology Fund and Tramway Venture Partners to advance its innovative DNA and RNA sequencing platform. By leveraging research developed at the University of New Mexico, the company utilizes proprietary spectroscopy and specialized chips to provide a more efficient and data-rich alternative to traditional genomic sequencing. This data is essential for precision medicine applications such as cancer treatment and it can also detect epigenetic markers which are crucial for understanding disease predisposition.
Read more
| |  | Local Startup EquiSeq Receives Second Issued Patent | |
EquiSeq, an Albuquerque-based startup specializing in equine genetics, has reached a big milestone with the issuance of its second U.S. patent. By utilizing a noninvasive method of detecting inherited muscle diseases in horses with a simple hair sample, the company’s DNA testing technology easily identifies damaging genetic variants across different breeds. This allows owners to identify horses at risk even before symptoms develop and is part of their broader mission to prevent inherited diseases through informed breeding.
Read more
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In the Spotlight - Featured UNM Inventor | | | | |
Rama Gullapalli, MD, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Pathology
Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Member, UNM Center for Biomedical Engineering
Member, UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center
The University of New Mexico
Dr. Gullapalli's research areas include:
- Metabolic (dysfunction) associated steatotic liver disease
- Environmental toxicology (heavy metals, nano- and microplastics, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)
- Novel optical imaging (fluorescence lifetime imaging, Raman spectroscopy, polarization wave microscopy)
- Artificial intelligence in pathology
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UNM Rainforest Innovations 2026 Calendar Has Arrived
The UNM Rainforest Innovations 2026 calendar is now available! Twelve UNM faculty members from both HSC and Main Campus are highlighted with information on their technologies and research areas. Congratulations to our featured inventors!
We will be mailing out these calendars to our UNM inventors and business community. To ensure that you receive a calendar or if your address has changed, please contact: Savanah Romero at sromero@innovations.unm.edu.
| | 2025 Pitch Deck Competition Winners Announced | | |
On December 4, five teams of university students pitched their innovative business and startup ideas at the 2025 Pitch Deck Competition. Held at the Lobo Rainforest Building, the event was co-hosted by UNM Rainforest Innovations (UNMRI) and the UNM Innovation Academy. The competition provides a platform for student entrepreneurs to present their early-stage companies and innovations while competing for a share of $20,000 in prize funding. Additionally, the UNM Accelerating Resilience Innovations in Drylands (ARID) Institute awarded a special $2,000 prize for a pitch demonstrating excellence in resilience-related innovations.
Opening remarks were delivered by Teresa Costantinidis, Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration at the University of New Mexico, followed by Lisa Kuuttila, CEO & Chief Economic Development Officer of UNM Rainforest Innovations and Rob DelCampo, Ph.D., Executive Director of UNM Innovation Academy.
We would like to extend a special thank you to this year’s judging panel:
- Charles Call, Ph.D., CEO of GridFlow
- Nicole Johnny, Founder/CEO of 1st Sovereign Capital
- Erik Kulstad, MD, MS, Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine at UT Southwestern and Co-Founder of Attune Medical
See list of Awardees
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New UNM Course for Students Led by Lisa Kuuttila: Technology Commercialization
From Idea/Invention to Market
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Join this course to explore the development and commercialization of an idea or invention. You do not need an idea or invention in advance to join. Learn from a variety of experts on aspects of developing and protecting an idea, deciding whether you have a viable business model and how to modify your idea, preparing your pitch, forming a company, and many associated details about commercialization.
Entrepreneurs and investors will also be invited to share their stories on what is important in creating a successful product and business. Whether you already have an idea or are simply interested in exploring the topic, this course will provide students the knowledge and expert guidance needed to take an idea from inception to commercialization.
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Discover the latest technologies from the University of New Mexico (UNM)!
February 4 from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the Lobo Rainforest Bldg.
This featured event invites all entrepreneurs and investors interested in learning about the latest technologies from The University of New Mexico (UNM).
UNM researchers will present their latest innovations and answer questions. Entrepreneurs and investors can expect to make valuable connections and discover new opportunities.
Refreshments and lunch will be provided.
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Rainforest Accelerator
Accepting Applications for the 2026 Spring Cohort
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Are you interested in accelerating your innovation and understanding its market potential? Researchers from the University of New Mexico are encouraged to join the Rainforest Accelerator to explore commercial viability of their technologies, create new start-up businesses, generate business models, and submit proposals to other funding opportunities.
Participants will have a dedicated mentor who will provide one-on-one guidance throughout the program.
Program dates are from February 16 – April 6, 2026 with weekly Zoom meetings on Mondays from 4:00-5:00 p.m. The final presentation will be held in-person on April 6 at the Lobo Rainforest Building and Zoom.
Learn more
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Indigenous Entrepreneurs Podcast | | | The Indigenous Entrepreneurs podcast aims to tell the story of the Entrepreneur’s Journey, specifically that of the indigenous entrepreneur, through candid conversations featuring successful indigenous entrepreneurs. | | Native American Business Roundtable - City of Santa Fe Economic Development | | |
UNM Rainforest Innovations is collaborating with the City of Santa Fe Economic Development Department to bring this roundtable event to Santa Fe for Native American owned-businesses and entrepreneurs.
These monthly gatherings create space for Native American entrepreneurs, artists, and business owners to connect, share resources, and build pathways to success.
The next Roundtable event will be on February 26 from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Santa Fe Business Incubator (3900 Paseo del Sol, Santa Fe, NM 87507).
| | SCORE Mentors Available for One-on-One Meetings | | |
Meet with SCORE mentors at the Lobo Rainforest Building or on Zoom! Mentors are available for one-on-one, confidential discussions and mentoring to inventors, students, and start-up companies.
SCORE mentors are successful business people and entrepreneurs who want to give back to the community by helping other entrepreneurs become and stay successful. SCORE has been helping small businesses start and grow in the Albuquerque area for over 50 years through mentoring and workshops and seminars. SCORE is the largest National resource partner of the Small Business Administration (SBA) with about 11,000 SCORE volunteers sharing their time and talents to help America's small businesses.
Interested? Contact Cara Michaliszyn at cmichaliszyn@innovations.unm.edu to arrange.
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